Mortal Kombat: The Chariot
by Nihongi
Summary: When Kobra is given the opportunity to serve Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat, he believes that he is prepared for anything. But what happens when the rules of the tournament have been corrupted, and the beings that were once sworn to protect us have departed?
1. Disciple

Timothy D. Tucker

**Mortal Kombat: The Chariot**

**Chapter 1: Disciple**

Kobra delivered a final, devastating kick to the battered heavy-bag. Despite the fatigue coursing through-out his legs and arms, a wry smile began to form across his lips as fine sand began to creep out of the bag. Kobra brushed his blond bangs away from his eyes and slumped to the dojos floor. Along with the steady _hiss _of the cascading sand, the only other sound was Kobra's ragged breath, deafening inside of the empty New York Martial Arts academy.

For a while, Kobra sat there. The sporadic _thump thump _of his heart returned to a normal tempo as he deeply inhaled the dank air, the smell of padded combat equipment and his own sweat pervading his lungs. Along with something else...

Kobra sniffed the air cautiously, nearly animal like. He could almost taste the new scent, a fragrant musk, which had made its way inside of the dojo. He snapped his head to the right, only to find an untouched rack of sparring gloves. Kobra sprang to his feet and readied his fist in a defensive posture, all feeling of soreness in his muscles replaced with a heightened sense of tension. Through the shadows and moonlight, Kobra spotted him leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Kobra watched for any signs of a threat, noting that the intruder wore a dark formal suit and loafers, his face obscured by a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Who the hell are you?" Kobra demanded. The intruder swayed from his position almost lazily and swaggered towards Kobra, a toothy grin plastered on his face.

_No way..._

Johnny Cage thrust his hands into his jacket pockets and nodded at the mound of sand at Kobra's feet. "You're pretty good kid."

Kobra tried desperately to open his mouth, to say anything, _anything, _to his martial arts icon, only for his silence to be punctuated by an incomprehensible _squeak_

_Of all places...New York? This ratty shit hole of a dojo?_

Cage chortled and shook his head, seemingly amused at Kobra's bewilderment.

"H-how did you get in here?" Kobra finally managed to stammer. Cage ignored him, his attention turned to the undamaged heavy bag in front of him.

"Y'know, you have good form kid. Power, speed, technique...it's good to see the art of Shorin Ryu isn't dead."

Pride began to well in Kobra's chest. Coming from a three time Shorin Ryu World Champion and the man responsible for single handily re-popularizing traditional martial arts in the mainstream really meant a lot.

Cage rubbed the tips of his fingers over the bags vinyl surface. He clinched his fist and firmly pressed into the cover.

"What are you doing?" Kobra's curiosity had risen to its peak. He felt like a child, wide eyed and excited.

"Just watch..." Cage reared his elbow back and thrust it forward, a sharp grunt escaping his mouth as his fist connected with the bag, creating a light _thud_ against the mass.

Neither spoke as Cage grinned maniacally at the heavy bag. "Yeah...I still got it."

"What exactly were-----" The soft _hiss _cut Kobra off. Kobra peered down to the floor, and marveled at the surreal sight. A torrent of sand gushed from a tear made in the bag, _on the other side _of Cage's punch.

"How the hell did...?" There was no questioning Johnny Cage's technique. The punch, simple in its execution and mechanics, delivering such a controlled force..._unreal force._

"Just a little something I picked up in China." Cage raised his fist triumphantly. "But these are just punching bags, they don't hit back..."

Kobra shook his head, amazed at his turn of events. "Alright man, what is this!? Is this like your new hidden camera show? Where are they?"

Cage idly paced the dojo. "No tricks kid, no camera show, just an open invitation." Cage stopped in front of the schools worn motif, a black and white Yin Yang emblazoned on the wall. "What kind of sparring sessions your school has?" Cage asked.

"Light contact, full gear type deal."

Cage nodded, his attention still fixed intently on the symbol. "Light contact, eh? And here you are, two o'clock in the morning, beating the holy hell out of a heavy bag..."

Cage had a point. His school had never allowed full contact training sessions, instead opting for useless 'love taps' of light contact. The only reason he even delved into martial arts and Shorin Ryu in particular was to help quench that primal need for violence, only to see it be diluted by self professed 'grand masters.' No matter how much he trained, the nagging feeling of not knowing whether his time spent studying Shorin Ryu Karate was in vain always lingered in his heart.

"What are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at is this: it's two in the morning; New York City. There's plenty of other things to hit besides heavy bags."

The lingering feeling of doubt had now become a twisting knot in his stomach as he contemplated Cage's offer. Ever since he had started training, he had always wondered whether his techniques could be used in an actual fight; a life or death situation. Could he break bones and snap tendons, or was he just deluding himself?

"You got someone in mind?" The words spilled from Kobra's mouth without thought for his own being, or the person unlucky enough to oppose him. Cage finally tore his attention from the symbol, his face an undiscerning mask behind his glasses.

"Yeah, I think I do..."

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Author's note: **Two words: Fuck Canon


	2. Bad Blood

**Chapter 2: Bad Blood**

_Two weeks later..._

According to Cage, "The Castle" used to be an oil refinery, located in the outskirts of Manhattan. Now it stood as nothing more than a deserted, sprawling sea of industrial piping and smoke stacks. It was here that Kobra would get his first real taste at combat, as "The Castle" was now used to run under ground pitfighting and gambling.

Kobra inhaled the bitter scent of the crude oil that still clung to the air and stretched his muscles. Not far from him, Cage paced idly around the loading dock area, a cell phone nestled against his ear. For the past two weeks Kobra trained rigorously with Cage, perfecting his Shorin Ryu technique while still maintaining a vicious mentality. This was not going to be a simple 'point' contest. There were absolutely no rules, anything goes. Cage flipped his phone phone shut, his conversation of travel plans to Bora Bora seemingly finished.

"Here, put this in." Kobra caught the small arch shaped object Cage threw at his face and inspected it. "At least if you get yourself banged up you can still have your looks."

Kobra bit down and adjusted his teeth over the mouth guard. He felt grateful for Cage's concern, even if it did come in the form of a joke, but he could tell there was real worry behind his innocent gesture.

"Any word on who I'm going to be fighting?" Kobra asked as he punched at the air. He felt confident in his abilities every step of the way.

"Yeah, and it's a doozy" With perfect ease Kobra shot his leg forward and executed a roundhouse kick.

"Well, who is it?"

"Have you ever heard of the Black Dragon syndicate?"

Kobra stopped, his rhythmic bouncing coming to a grinding halt. "Yeah...but what does that have to do with my opponent tonight?"

Cage grimaced behind his sunglasses, and for the first time Kobra felt fear creep down his spine. "Well, then, you know that the Black Dragons are notorious for their gun and drug trafficking throughout the world. They also have there hand in illegal fighting. Kobra...this place is _their _turf..."

A part of Kobra wanted to dismiss the claim, to deny the information he had just heard, but the grave expression on Cage's face told the story far better than his words.

"So let me get this straight. You want me to fight a terrorist!?"

"Not just any terrorist. His name is Kano, a ruthless, cold hearted sociopathic member of the Black Dragon that would kill his own mother to achieve success. He's going to be your opponent tonight..."

Kobra felt as though the life had been sucked right out of him. "Johnny, this is a mistake man! The Black Dragons are killers!" The panic was evident in Kobra's voice. All feeling of bravado were slowly being erased by the realization of pain and death.

"C'mon kid, relax. You can do this."

"You know what!? You show up out of the blue, acting like you know me or something, we train together for two weeks, _two weeks_, and you want to put me in a fight with a trained killer!?"

Kobra tensed as Cage darted his hand forward, forcefully grabbing him by the arm.

"Let go of me man..."

"You need to calm down. You think it was happenstance that I just happened to walk into your dojo? We've been watching you...we know what you are capable of, and we know your potential. Trust me...you _can_ do this...you will."

Cage released his grip. This was becoming more surreal by the moment. "What do you mean 'we've'? What's really going on?"

Cage impatiently checked his watch. "We don't have time for twenty one questions, but just know that there are far bigger things going on than you, me, and the Black Dragons. This is just the staging ground for what's to come."

"And what's left to come?"

"Walk with me kid." Cage led Kobra through the grimy corridors of "The Castle" He felt more like a prisoner taking his last steps to death as Cage continued to talk.

"Kano has something that you need Kobra...it's an invitation."

As they neared the arena, the sounds of the depraved spectators buzzed through the air. Hundreds of bodies shook the foundation of "The Castle" to its very core as the over head light bulbs flickered. "An invitation to what?"

They came to a set of steel double doors. On the other sound, the noise was deafening. "You'll see..." Cage said, grasping the doors metal handles. Cage forcefully pushed the doors open, and Kobra was assaulted by the onslaught of brilliant light and unbearable noise.

Kobra shielded his eyes from the harsh glow as he trailed behind Cage through a sea of snarling and degenerate faces, each one of them starving to see blood. Kobra's fear did not subside as he saw the gigantic steel cage posed ominously in the center of the room, and several armed men positioned strategically around the perimeter, assault rifles at their ready.

"Johnny! What is this!?" Kobra's shout were futile over the thunderous atmosphere, and all he could do was follow Cage as they made their way up the ramp and to the cell door. Through the mesh wire there was no canvas or mat covering the floor, nothing but unforgiven steel waiting for whoever unfortunate enough to meet it.

"You gonna wish me luck?" Kobra asked, adjusting his Gi top.

"Kid, trust me...you've been preparing for this your entire life, you just never knew it. You don't need luck."

Kobra stepped into the confines of the cage, his adrenaline starting to pump out in torrents inside of his body. To his surprise the spectators noise began to diminish, first dying down to a light cheer, then finally, dead silence.

A pin drop could be heard throughout the dank air, and Kobra began to wonder what was going on when the ovation started up again, this time as a rhythmic pounding against the floor. Three beats in succession, followed by two others afterwards, louder and louder until Kobra could feel the vibrations coursing through his body, racking his heart in an unnatural beat.

It was then that Kobra saw him making his way through the crowd. An abnormally muscular man, his solidly built arms and chest covered in a thin layer of hair. The most distinguishable feature besides his imposing stature however was the crimson red eye set into a silver face plate on the left side of his face.

An earsplitting "_Kano! Kano! Kano!" _chant erupted from the crowd as he entered the cage. Kobra readied himself as Kano swaggered almost nonchalantly towards him. With a wave of his hand the crowd noise died, leaving only silence.

Kano stepped closer, so close Kobra could smell the sour scent of his breath.

"Who the hell are you?" said Kano, his thick Australian accent mocking.

Kobra said nothing. Giving his opponent even the slightest edge would spell doom for him. Instead Kobra kept his stare intense, glaring directly into the crimson and black eyes of Kano.

"Don't want to talk eh boy? This ain't a place for you..."

Kobra remained calm as Kano stepped even closer, there noses nearly touching.

"I'll slit your fucking throat punk.."

The words, deadly in there delivery, did not phase Kobra. To his surprise, Kobra found himself smiling, an unknown glee rising inside of him. Kano stepped back as Kobra raised his fist and steadied himself on the balls of his feet. Kano reached into a holster on his boot and unsheathed a large combat knife. The blade was at least several inches long, its highly serrated teeth used more to completely shred flesh from the bone than just merely cutting.

Kano waved the knife dangerously in front of him, a sick smile playing across his rugged features.

_This is it..._

There was no time for second guessing. All feeling of self doubt and fear were replaced with an unquenchable thirst for combat. Despite Kano's infamy, despite his massive size and blood seeking knife, Kobra lunged first...

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Author's Note: **I hope Kobra ate his Kan'O's, this is going to be a tough one. :)


	3. Eye For An Eye

**Chapter 3: Eye for an Eye**

Kobra rushed in quick, barely avoiding Kano's blade as it careened over his head. With a guttural cry, Kobra delivered a swift uppercut to Kano, his fist driving deep into the pit of his opponents stomach. He continued his assault, sending blow after blow to Kano's abdomen. From afar the noise of the crowd was barely audible over the rushing blood in his ears.

With a final punch, Kobra crashed into Kano's jaw. Kobra expected the brute to topple to the steel floor, for him to at least _show _that he had just taken a vicious blow to his jaw. Instead Kano _smiled_, his plaque riddled teeth as sinister as a sharks.

Kano darted forward, his head connecting with Kobra's with a sickening _thunk_. It felt as if a bowling ball had just been thrown at the young martial artist's temple as he crumbled to the floor, pain shooting throughout his head.

There was no time to lick his wounds though, no time to question his own sanity for even stepping foot in the cage and no time to check to see if his brain was still intact from the savage attack as Kano rushed in, his knife seconds away from crashing into Kobra's prone body- - - - - - - - - -

_**KRAAAAAAAAAAAAANGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

The blade collided at the the spot where Kobra had been merely seconds ago. The crowd was going ballistic, screaming at the top of their lungs for blood..._Kobra's blood_.

"Tear his fucking heart out Kano!"A rabid fan shouted. Kano pounced mercilessly again, continuing his onslaught. Kobra bobbed and weaved , his eyes locked on the blade in Kano's hand. He was being forced backwards, playing the role of prey against a formidable predator, and before he realized his mistake, Kobra felt his back ram into the steel cage, nowhere left to go...

"MOVE!" Through his haze Kobra could hear Cage yell, and without thinking, rolled to the right, barely avoiding Kano's lunging attack. As soon as he hit the floor, Kobra was moving again, scrambling to get back to his feet...not wanting to take his eyes off of this dangerous man. To his surprise however, Kano was stuck, his knife wedged firmly between the meshed steel wall.

_Now's my chance! _Kobra drove the heel of his foot deep into the back of Kano's thigh, sending the thug to one knee. He followed up with an elbow strike to the back of Kano's head, sending a _ping _of metal on metal as his eye rammed into the cage. The crowd began to grow restless as their hero Kano slowly made his way back to his feet. Another chant of "Kano" broke out amongst the spectators, their cries a vocal plea for Kano to make a comeback.

It worked...

As Kobra readied his next attack, he was met with a back fist straight to the jaw. Pain ricocheted through Kobra's face as his mouth piece flew across the ring much to the crowds approval. He stumbled back, flexing his jaw to see if it was broken.

In front of him Kano was rising to his feet, the knife forgotten in the cage. Kobra raised his fist once more, prepared for an attack from all angles. Kano leaped forward, his massive body leaving the ground in an impossible cannon ball position.

Before Kobra could dodge, Kano slammed into his abdomen at full force with his entire body. Over 200 pounds of pure muscle knocked the air straight from his lungs, sending Kobra crashing to the floor.

_How...the...FUCK!? _On the outside Cage was screaming, beckoning for Kobra to get back to his feet,to fight through the pain and confusion that was racking his body and mind.

Kobra struggled to stand, his sternum aching from the impact. He tried to control his labored breathing, and felt his heart sink when a thin smile crept upon Kano's face.

"You mess with the Dragon, you get bit boy!" The hue of Kano's eye began to brighten, the crimson oval shining as bright as a star - - - - - - - - - - -

Kobra fell to his knees, more from exhaustion than to avoid the beam of light that erupted from Kano's eye.

_Stupid, stupid, Kobra! _He thought miserably. _I'm in way over my head._ Kobra glanced behind him, cringing as he saw the charred hole cut cleanly in the steel. Kobra began to scramble backwards, pain etched across his entire body. Roars of laughter echoed through the arena, mocking Kobra. Even Kano burst into a delirious fit, a shrill almost jackal like utterance coming from the thug.

Kobra groaned in disbelief as Kano's eye began to emit a fiery glow again. There was just no countering an extraordinary attack like that. He gritted his teeth, his eyes intently trained on the illuminated organ.

_Here we go again..._

It was all he could do was close his eyes when a massive explosion shook "The Castle" to its very core. Kobra felt the impact pulsate throughout his body as chunks of the roof came crashing to the floor around them. Kobra stared in amazement at the gaping hole that punctuated the ceiling. Multiple ropes descended into "The Castle", followed by a pack of bodies.

The vibrant shouts of the spectators were replaced with screams of panic as gunshots rang in the air. Kobra dove to the floor, helplessly watching as several of the armed men surrounding the cage were cut down by automatic fire.

"FUCK!!" To his right, Kano made a dash for the cage door, but was stopped dead in his tracks by one of the infiltrators. The mysterious intruder wore a mask, but Kobra could tell from the black, skin tight BDU that the person was definitely a woman.

Kano hunched his shoulders, momentary defenselessness effecting the Black Dragon leader. The intruder was fast, but not fast enough as she raised a large handgun to Kano's forehead. The thug sidestepped the gun, sending the booming shot wild through the air. Kano was on the the outside of her defenses, free to attack at any moment. He landed a forceful chop to the womans wrist, sending the gun clattering across the steel floor, inches from Kobra.

Kobra reached for the gun, a high caliber Desert Eagle, as Kano made his way behind the woman, his large arms wrapping around her neck and head. She struggled in his grasp, not strong enough to loosen his brutish grip.

"Now, now, now...what do we have here!?" Kano breathed down her neck. He ripped the mask from her face, and Kobra was surprised to see a beautiful blond woman, pain evident in her deep blue eyes. Kobra raised the gun, desperately aiming down the sights at Kano despite his shaking hands.

"I should have known it was you love, I could _smell _you a mile away. Miss me much?" The woman grunted in anguish. Kano's arms were constricting tighter around her neck, suffocating...

"Would you shoot the bastard already!?" She shouted at Kobra. Kobra aimed directly at Kano's head.

"Let her go," he demanded.

Kano chuckled in response, oblivious to the gun pointed at his head. "Me and the misses are just getting a little reacquainted. What was it, love? 'Ear to ear?'"

Kobra squeezed the trigger, his shot hitting lower than he anticipated. A ragged hole tore through the side of Kano's neck as his iron grip on the woman released. With a choked cry the Black Dragon toppled to the floor, writhing in agony.

Kobra lowered the weapon and rushed to the woman's side, who was tenderly massaging the crook of her neck.

"Are you alright?" The womans gaze was transfixed on the twitching form of Kano, no sympathy or remorse in her bloodshot eyes.

"Give me that..." She said flatly, not taking her eyes off of Kano. Kobra slowly placed the gun in her outstretched hand. Without warning, she aimed at Kano's glowing eye and fired. Crimson still permeated his socket, but this time from the steady stream of blood that seeped from his mortal wound. Kano was dead...

Kobra stared at the gruesome bullet hole, praying that his stomach wouldn't turn from the smell of blood. He shifted his eyes away from Kano's slack face, down his lifeless body and stopped. Something was jutting from out of his trouser pockets, so small that Kobra had to lean closer to get a better look at it.

"Hold it right there asshole." The cold steel placed firmly against Kobra's skull froze him in place. "Put your hands where I can see them."

"Sonya...it's alright." The familiar voice caused Kobra to tear his attention away from the object. In front of them. Cage spoke softly, reluctant to come closer. "It's alright...you've earned it."

Perplexed, Kobra reached down and and retrieved the object from Kano's pocket. It was a folded parchment, time ravaged golden brown stains covering most of its surface. Kobra recalled Cage's words before his fight..._"Kano has something that you need Kobra...it's an invitation."_

The woman, Sonya, blasted Cage a dumbfounded look before turning her attention back to Kobra. "I've got a couple of questions I want to ask you..."

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Author's Note: **Thanks For Reading


	4. Konfessions

**Chapter 4: Konfessions**

_"OOOOFFFF!!!" _Kobra grunted in pain as he was slammed chest first against the wall of his cell by Sonya. Since leaving "The Castle," Kobra's mind was buzzing with hundreds of questions, none of them even close to being answered by the overly aggressive Sonya and the surprisingly tentative Johnny Cage who trailed behind them. What scared him the most however, was the fact that he was certain that these people were not ordinary police. No Miranda Rights, no booking, not even a phone call. Kobra decided that keeping his mouth shut was the best option.

"Be easy on him Sonya, he just had a hell of a night." Cage said, concern in his voice.

"Johnny...shut up." She nudged her head towards a neatly made cot in the corner of the room. "Sit."

Kobra did as he was told, not wanting to make a fuss with the woman. Sonya folded her arms and paced impatiently in front of him. "Alright kid, what's your name?"

"Kobra."

Sonya cut Kobra a menacing look. "No...I didn't mean your name on the streets. I meant the name your mother gave to you when you born you little smartas- - - - - - - -

A shrill beeping noise cut her off. Kobra sighed in relief as she unclipped a small walkie talkie from her hip and placed it to her head. A momentary distraction was enough for Kobra.

"Lieutenant Blade." She said coolly. Her composed demeanor shattered however at whatever news she heard over the radio. Her eyes went wide with exasperation before closing completely. "What the hell do you mean Kano's body is gone..." She hissed into the radio. "I thought your men had the perimeter covered."

Sonya listened into the walkie before replying, "alright Jax, expand the search location to the entire industrial district. If Kano is still alive we absolutely cannot let him slip through our fingers." She clicked the walkie off, disappointment on her face.

"God damn it..."

She turned her attention back to Kobra. "You better start talking right now; who the hell are you? What do you know about the Black Dragons?"

Kobra held his hands up in defense of himself. "Nothing! I swear. Johnny invited me to fight at that place. Tell her."

Johnny Cage fidgeted nervously on his feet. "Yeah...it's true Sonya. It was my idea to have our friend hear fight Kano at "The Castle." Tried to do it without you finding out...but, you know the rest."

"And why the hell would you do a stupid thing like that"

"Well, this may sound crazy...but I think he's _the one..._

Sonya eyed Kobra up and down, he gaze falling every which way across his body. Kobra's beating heart was slowing, but that could not cure the confusion that was still running rampant throughout his head.

"You think he's _the one_?"

"Yeah Sonya, I believe I do.." Sonya stepped in front of Cage, their muted voices inaudible to Kobra. With a heavy sigh Sonya's shoulders sagged, and with blinding speed she brought her knee up, connecting with Cage's stomach.

"You dumbass!" She screamed, grabbing the movie star by the collar of his tuxedo and flipping him over to his back. Kobra shot off of the bed in alarm, contemplating whether he should help Cage. "You think he's _the one _huh?" Sonya said. She stepped out of the cell and closed it behind Kobra and Cage. "Well, I'll tell you what; how about you fill him in on our little plight? You guys can have _plenty _of time to talk." Sonya stormed away from the cell, her bootsteps fading away.

"Sonya! Wait!" Cage pulled himself to his feet and shook the bars to no avail. "Come back!" Even behind his ever present sunglasses, the dejection was clear on Cage's face as he turned to Kobra.

"Johnny, I hate to sound like a broken record but what - - - - - -"

"The hell is going on..." Cage finished, slumping down to the floor. "Hell, I...I don't even know where to begin..."

"How about starting at the beginning?"

Cage sighed, and Kobra could almost sense a heavy burden in his mind. "A couple of years ago, I went off the grid for a while. Man, I tell you if I had a nickel for every bullshit story of where I was that I heard, I'll be even richer than I already am. I wasn't helping starving children in Myanmar, I wasn't trekking across the Arizona wilderness to cleanse my soul, and I definitely wasn't undergoing alcohol rehabilitation down in Florida. I was competing in a tournament...a martial arts tournament..."

"Really?" Kobra recalled the actors abrupt departure from the spotlight, stories of him being dead or abducted by aliens running rampant. Cage continued, "It's called Mortal Kombat. A fighting tournament unlike anything ever seen before, fighters from foreign lands, hell..._worlds..._all competing for a prize more valuable than pride, honor, or money...they're competing for the souls of billions of people. I know this may sound hard to believe - - - - - - - - "

"Yeah, and I just had a guy shoot lasers out of his eye and turn into a human cannonball. I think I'm open to anything now." Kobra interrupted. He found himself leaning closer to Cage, not even doubting the legitimacy of his story for a second. Kobra listened in awe as Cage rekindled the story of how 500 years ago, a powerful sorcerer named Shang Tsung and a four armed, half man, half dragon, entered the Mortal Kombat tournament, and for nine straight generations, laid waste to all who opposed them.

Kobra learned that a powerful emperor from the wastelands of Outworld had set his sights on conquering the realm of earth, and a final victory in Mortal Kombat would allow him and his armies into crossing over the realms. In order to prevent this potential calamity, the Elder God of Thunder, Raiden, formed a group of fighters from across the world to enter Mortal Kombat and put a stop to Shang Tsung's plot.

"I was one of those fighter." Cage beamed proudly. "Along with Sonya Blade and a Shaolin Monk, Liu Kang. Liu Kang went on to defeat Shang Tsung – of course with help from yours truly – and restored balance to the realms. Things went back to normal for a while...well, as normal as a monk, special ops soldier, and millionaire movie star sees it. Then...it just happened..."

Cage shook his head slowly, his face a mask of concentration. "What happened?"

"Raiden...he just left. Abandoned us and the realm he once swore to protect. Liu Kang went in pursuit of him...and we never heard from him again either. That's where you come in." Cage reached into his pocket and pulled out the scroll that Kobra had retrieved from Kano's body.

"There's going to be another tournament at the start of the September Equinox...four months away." He said, handing Kobra the scroll. "That's the only time a rift between our world and Outworld opens. I was tasked with finding another fighter to even the odds in our favor."

Kobra stared at the weathered writings on the scroll, mesmerized by the ancient text. "This is unbelievable..." He whispered.

"Sorry you had to go through such a beating to earn it though...but at least you didn't die." Cage forced a half hearted laugh. "But now the hard part begins. If you really want to enter Mortal Kombat, you would need to train and become much better than you already are. And I know just the place..."

"Otomix Training Center in L.A.?"

"Uh...no. I'm thinking a place more exotic. China."

_China!? _Kobra pondered the life altering event. Moving to a foreign land to train for a life or death tournament... "I've never even set foot outside New York..."

"I know this is all coming fast for you...trust me, but you just have to realize that there is much more at stake than you can even imagine. You have to believe in yourself."

_China...leaving behind the grit of New York, the shitty one bedroom apartment, dead end job and Karate training...all for the unknown and dangerous..._

"When do we leave?"

Cage smiled. "As soon as Sonya lets us out of this damn cell."

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Authors Note: **That "Koncludes" another chapter. Get it? Yeah...


	5. Konquest

**Chapter 5: Konquest**

_Zhengzhou City Henan Province, China: 4 days later_

A small jeep zigzagged down the worn dirt road, lush trees and undergrowth blurring past at nerve racking speed. In the back seat, Kobra and Johnny Cage clung to the jeeps support handles for dear life, every bump jostling them back and fourth.

"Hey buddy! How much further!?" Cage shouted over the rushing winds and crackling underbrush. "Just a little longer my friend!" The driver replied. "Hang on to your sunglasses!!"

Kobra's stomach nearly turned upside down as the jeep left the ground, suspended in mid-air for what felt like minutes before crashing back to the earth with a deafening racket.

"Damn it!" Cage cried. "I'm going to talk to my people, and before you know it, this will all be a nice long expressway!" Cage had luckily eschewed his suit for a turquoise Polo shirt and slacks, saving him from the stifling heat. They continued down the road, and Kobra wondered why the Wu Shi Academy that Cage told him about was so secluded.

The Academy, nestled deep within the wilderness of China, served as the training ground for the Earthrealm warriors under the strict guidance of Master Bo Rai Cho and one of the Academies most acclaimed alumni, Kung Lao.

Kobra was snapped out of his musings as he saw the tips of several pagodas jutting towards the sun bathed sky beyond the trees. The road began to become smoother and before long they had reached the main gates of the Wu Shi Academy.

"Man, I tell you this place is absolutely beautiful." Cage said as the driver crawled to the wooden gates. Two stone faced monks briskly opened the gates, allowing the jeep to continue.

Cage was right; the grounds of the Wu Shi Academy were absolutely beautiful. The architecture appeared to be trapped in time, with the numerous buildings all reminiscent of ancient Chinese gardens, enclosures, and sweeping courtyards. Monks clad in yellow and orange garments peacefully strolled about the grounds, their eyes never setting on Cage and Kobra as they climbed out of the jeep.

Kobra stretched his aching limbs, relieved to finally be able to stand again. Cage led Kobra to the main building of the Wu Shi Academy.

"Master Cho is inside." He said, sliding open the highly decorative doors. The inside proved to be just as extravagant as the exterior. Lavish crimson and gold trimmed carpet adorned the floor, along with matching colored streamers cascading from the roof.

Kobra was taken aback by the sheer luxuries present inside of the Wu Shi Academy, so much that he began to wonder just what type of man Master Bo Rai Cho really was. Suddenly, Kobra felt very inadequate in his Shorin Ryu gi top and blue jeans.

They came to a dining hall with precious earthenware covering the rooms long wooden table. A man sat hunched over the end of the table, a large mug in his hand. He was a heavy set man, and unlike the colorful monks that perused the courtyards this man wore drab brown garments. As they neared him Kobra noticed his face was a slack mask of fatigue behind his bushy facial hair, black strands of hair falling over his bloodshot eyes; the man was drunk.

"Master Cho!" Cage said exuberantly, surprising Kobra beyond belief. "It's me, Johnny!"

Master Cho simply grunted in response, his eyes never leaving the half empty mug in front of him.

"That's Master Cho!?" Kobra asked incredulously, not hiding his shock at the unexpected sight.

"Never judge a book by its cover. Master Cho has been training Earthrealm warriors for decades and is a highly decorated martial artist...." Master Cho raised his heavy head and stared Kobra in his eyes. His mouth opened, a clamorous belch escaping from the pit of his stomach and into the air.

"...Who just happens to be a little wasted at the moment." Cage finished, dejected. "C,mon, maybe we'll have more luck with Kung Lao." Kobra took one last look st the drunkard Bo Rai Cho, who had gone on to smiling at absolutely nothing, before following Cage out of the dining hall.

"What the hell was that?" Kobra asked, not fully convinced that the drunk slouch he had just seen was responsible for safe guarding all of humanity.

"You ever seen the Legend of Drunken Master?"

"Of course, it's a classic."

"There's your answer. Get some liquor in him and he's Wong Fei Hung through and through."

They made their way to a large courtyard behind the main building. Waves of crisp green bamboo trees flanked the border of the courtyard, along with dozens of intimidating warrior statues. What caught Kobra's eye, however, was the large stylized dragon symbol emblazoned in the center of the courtyard. Two men were sparring around the design. One of the men, a monk wearing a wide brimmed hat with what appeared to be a razor around its perimeter, moved with swift poetic ease, while the other man, a young darker skinned monk, trudged along slowly under the glaring sun.

_Oh, Master Cho was a drunk, I bet these guys are Meth heads. _Kobra thought smugly.

"Kung Lao!" Cage cried, extending his arms towards the hat wearing monk. Kung Lao removed his hat and wiped his sweaty face.

"Johnny, it's been too long." He said, embracing Cage. "How have you been?"

"Y'know, same old; acting, martial arts, trying to collect fighters to help stop a certain psychopathic emperor from conquering all of earth, which brings me to my friend here..."

Kung Lao studied Kobra, his flushed face furrowing into an intrigued smile. "Kai, take a breather." He said, motioning towards the darker skinned monk.

"But we were just getting warmed up!" Kai insisted, his breaths coming out in wide gulps.

"Really? With the way you were treading along it seemed like we were sparring for forty days and nights. Please, this in very important."

Kai shot Kobra a look of pure disdain before silently skulking away.

"Never mind him...Kai is still so young." Kung Lao said. The Shaolin Monk studied Kobra intensely. "Ah, so you are the..."

...the punch came so fast that Kobra barely had time to react. He flinched at the last moment, just as Kung Lao was retracting his heavily calloused fist. "His reflexes are a little iffy." He said.

Kung Lao struck again, but this time Kobra was ready to counter the telegraphed punch...and was met with a sudden low kick straight to his shin. "Damn!" Kobra backed away, flexing his sore muscle.

"Yep, reflexes are definitely a little iffy."

"What are you trying to prove man?" Kobra asked, annoyed.

"What I am trying to prove is...if I am given a empty cup, I will fill that vessel with knowledge up to its rim..."

Kobra thought about what he was saying, never really understanding the metaphorical nature of martial arts in the first place.

"I'm not an 'empty cup'. I've been doing martial arts for years!"

"If you are to succeed, you must approach this with a clear head, your mind as pure as an infants that has just seen his first day."

Cage nodded, a quizzical expression on his face. Kobra could not deny the air of mystique that emanated from Kung Lao. He reminded him of Bruce Lee, poetic in his words and movements.

"Alright, alright...I'll be your empty cup." Kobra conceded.

"Excellent! Training begins tomorrow morning." Kung Lao tossed his hat towards the row of warrior statues. To Kobra's surprise, it glided seamlessly through the air, a trail of blue light forming a tail on the bladed head wear.

_SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!_

The hat cut flawlessly through one of the statues solid necks, causing its head to topple to the ground.

"Brace yourself!" Cage cried as the hat made an impossible U turn in flight. It spiraled wildly towards the trio, nearly reaching them...

...before Kung Lao leaped towards the hat, plucking it out of the sky with ease. He landed gracefully on his feet and placed the hat back on his head, its bladed circumference brightly gleaming under the sun.

"I'll fill you up nice and good my little cup...."

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Authors Note: **Time for Boot Kamp.


	6. Konquest Part II

**Chapter 6: Konquest Part II **

_Dawn...the next morning_

"**UP!!!!!"**

The single word caused Kobra to shoot out of his cot like a bullet. He stared around the semi darkness of the room, and groaned when he saw the figure of Kung Lao silhouetted against the shadows and creeping light of dawn. Kobra crashed back onto his sheets and pulled the covers over his head, praying that he would just fall back to sleep and be left alone.

No such luck...

"Up I said! Today is the beginning of your training, and the rest of your life!" Kung Lao barked enthusiastically, ripping the covers from Kobra's body.

"Alright...Jeez..." Kobra reached for his Shorin Ryu gi top on the stand beside the bed, but winced in pain as Kung Lao quickly chopped his hand away. "What the hell was that for!?"

"This is not Karate school, this is not Kung Fu school, this is not Taekwon Do school, this is not..."

Kobra cut him off. "I get it. Relax."

"You will wear this." Kung Lao tossed a bundle of clothes at Kobra. "It is the garment of all monks here." Kobra climbed out of bed, still trying to shake the last vestiges of fatigue out of him. Muttering darkly, he changed into the crisp white pants and top, sneering at how loose the clothing felt. Kung Lao placed a golden and flame colored sash diagonally across Kobra's torso and stood back.

"Perfect! You will be a monk yet. Follow me!" With the energy no man should possess this early in the morning, Kung Lao sprinted from the room.

_Here we go..._

Kobra followed after the Shaolin monk, bursting into the cool, early morning air. The sky was still covered in a blanket of velvet night, but the sun burned a deep red on the horizon. _Way too fucking early._

Kobra pumped his legs faster trying to catch up to Kung Lao. His heart beat began to rise, and he wondered if he would tire himself out before the actual training even began. Kung Lao finally came to rest at the same courtyard where the two had met yesterday. Even as Kobra stopped as he reached Kung Lao, the monk continued to jog in place.

"NOW THIS IS LIFE!!" Kung Lao shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing into the Chinese wilderness.

Kung Lao's stationary jogging came to a halt as he looked Kobra in his eyes. "Your training begins now, but first...I want you to close your eyes."

Kobra did as he was told, closing his eyes and hoping that he would just pass out on his feet. "Now, I want you to _listen_...listen to the birds, listen to the wind, listen to the trees...just _listen._"

With his eyes closed, Kobra realized that he was more in tuned with his hearing. The birds melodic song drifted through the air, along with a light gust of wind that carried the crackling of the canopy of trees.

"Good. Now take a nice, deep breath." Kobra inhaled slowly, noticing the distant aroma of herbs drifting in the morning air.

"Excellent. Now, I want you to breath out." Kobra did as he was told once more, exhaling the air from his lungs.

"Is this what my day of training is going to consist of, breathing exercises?" Kobra asked, his patience starting to wear thin.

"Breathing exercises!? No, no, no my friend...that was just a symbolic way of emptying your cup..."

Kobra snapped his eyes open. "Ah, not that cup stuff again!"

"How can I fill you up if your mind is not where it is supposed to be? Now...watch closely and pay attention."

Kung Lao thrust his arm forward in a powerful punch. "This...is a punch!"" He exclaimed victoriously, as if he had just shown Kobra the secret art of war.

_You have got to be kidding me..._ he thought miserably.

The Shaolin monk then followed with a lightning fast snap kick, his baggy pants puncturing the air with sound. "This...is a kick!" He followed up with rapid knee and elbow strikes, exuding the same amount of useless enthusiasm as before.

"C'mon man! I know how to throw punches and kicks!" Kobra shook his head, not sure if he was being condescended in the worst possible way or if Kung Lao was just insane. The Shaolin monk ignored Kobra however, continuing his 'teaching'.

"Next, you can link together attacks to make your opponent perish in a flurry of fist and feet, like so." With a powerful cry, Kung Lao unleashed strike after strike to the air, his arms and legs creating a whirlwind of flowery, yet deadly motions.

"Eight Palms! Eagle Talons!" Kung Lao bent his fingers, creating rapid clawing motions.

"Sixteen Palms! Pouncing Tiger!" His attacks became more rigid, his movements mimicking the actions of an aggressive tiger.

"Thirty two Palms! Praying Mantis!" Next Kung Lao swung his arms in hooked motions, his body making the illusion of a nimble mantis.

"Sixty Four Palms! Diving Sparrow!" Kung Lao dove into the air, his body as streamlined as a bullet racing towards its target. He landed with a resounding _thud _on the courtyards ground, his hat never falling out of place.

"Dude..." Kobra uttered, his mind still reeling from Kung Lao's beautiful exhibition. "So...so, what are you going to teach me? That bullet kick thing?"

Kung Lao laughed. "Whatever you want to learn, you will learn. But first, we must get those arms and legs moving! I want to see form, power, technique, and most importantly, heart...show me what you've got!"

Kobra jumped into his basic Shorin Ryu Karate stance, right arm held straight and slightly downward, left arm tucked inwards and below his armpit, his weight positioned onto the ball of his lead foot...

"No, no, no, no, no!! What did I tell you? This is not Karate school! In Mortal Kombat, fighters from many realms will all converge onto one place, and you cannot afford to be caught up in a robotic, rigid, fighting stance. You have to...free your mind. Let your body flow with the silent music."

Kung Lao began to pace in a rhythmic footwork, his hands held high almost as if in a boxing stance. Kobra copied his movements, noting the freedom of movement, the possibility of delivering attacks from all angles.

"Good, good. Now, I want you to hit me."

Kobra flicked a jab at the Shaolin monks face, which was easily deflected. "Yes! That is what I like to see! Show me attitude! Show me heart!!"

Kobra followed up with a left right combination, inwardly swearing as both punches were dodged "Come on little cup, stop trying to hit me and hit me!"

The two continued to dance around each other, their feet scuffing the dragon insignia of the courtyard. Kobra let his gaze fall towards Kung Lao's shifting feet, and was rewarded with a stinging slap to the face.

"You cannot block what you cannot see. Never let your eyes wander to just one area of the body."

Kobra kept his eyes locked on Kung Lao's midsection, making sure he could be ready for any attack from his limbs...

...but was not prepared for the sudden rush from Kung Lao, his leg sweeping behind Kobra and connecting with his heel. Kobra felt himself falling, his body suspended in mid air before painfully crashing back down to the surface

"OOOOFFFF!!!"

Kobra stared at the brightening sky, the pain ebbing from his back. Kung Lao blocked his view of the gallant dawn, a smile plastered on his face. "Shall we go again?"

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

**Authors Note: **I don't like Naruto, I just thought it sounded cool.


End file.
